We know conferences, conventions or any work-related event can be overwhelming, especially after a pandemic. Whether you forgot how to socialize or you can’t wait to talk to people, it’s hard to decide where to even begin when planning for franchise conferences.

As franchise suppliers since 2015, we thought we’d give everyone a hand when it comes to prepping for conferences to ensure you get the most out of your experience.

Who is serviceminder

Before we give our two cents on franchise networking, we should probably give you a little background on us for any newbies out there.

serviceminder is the platform for managing and operating home services franchises. From tracking marketing efforts, delivering professional online proposals directly to clients, to lead capture, and much more. serviceminder provides unique tools and integrations designed to make your brand stand out from competitors. If you want to categorize us, sure we’re a CRM, but not just a CRM..home services brands can streamline their entire workflow through serviceminder.

Manage Your Time

Although conventions may look long on paper, they go way too fast. Networking has a way of killing time, in a good way! However, it’s important to plan out your days before you get to the event.

Schedule meetings with clients, prospects, or friends in advance to ensure you see everyone on your list. Whether it’s a cup of coffee or dinner, be sure to add those scheduled meetings to your calendar. Coordinate with those who you’d like to chat with beforehand, depending on how big the conference is, you may have to reach out a few months prior.

It might seem unnatural and over the top, but you’d be surprised how quickly others' calendars fill up at these events. You’re only there for a few days, make the most of every second of each day.

Focus on building relationships

A consistent characteristic of the franchise community that we’ve noticed throughout the years is that this casual, but passionate group of folks doesn’t like the traditional hard-sell approach. You are not at these events to push your product on others, you are there to build relationships and learn from others-it’s important to keep that in mind. Focus on meaningful conversations and connections. Offer support to others, franchising is truly fueled by teamwork!

Be your Brand

As a part of focusing on authentic relationships, it's crucial to be yourself and true to your brand. And we know it sounds awfully corny, but we love the fact that we can show up in t-shirts, jeans, and cowboy boots without any judgment.

We’re okay with being known as the crew in blue that’s full of dad jokes. It’s cool to see everyone’s true selves, it also makes it easier to spot them on the conference floor at the next event…now, that’s a pro trip right there!

Ready…Set…Safe Travels!

Good luck as you kick off your 2023 conference season. If you’re heading to the IFA Annual Convention, stop by our booth 1027 (at your own risk) to say hi and geek out over home services franchising. We’ll have contests, giveaways and as mentioned above lots of corny jokes.